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For Immediate Release
May 25, 2007
CONTACT:
Colleen Greer
Phone: 717-787-6801
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Weekly Column: Remembering Those Who Serve in Our Armed Forces - Both Past &
Present
We recently celebrated Memorial Day – a time for Americans to remember,
honor, and thank our veterans by paying tribute to those who have so proudly
served and sacrificed. The holiday also marks a time when thousands of
Pennsylvanians gather in communities all across the state to remember and pay
tribute to those who have died while in service to their country. As we move
forward, I encourage everyone to reflect upon the sacrifices of our servicemen
and women and show gratitude to those whose bravery and dedication has made and
continues to make our nation great – every day.
In keeping with my commitment to supporting and recognizing our veteran
community's efforts and needs throughout the entire year, I maintain an advisory
committee to ensure our veterans and their families from the 15th Senatorial
District are regularly informed of important legislation and state issues that
directly affect them or impact upon the Department of Military and Veterans'
Affairs. This citizens' group is designed to promote open communication among
veterans, state government, Dauphin and York County Offices, federal agencies,
and various veterans' assistance organizations. This is a very important group
because it allows me to stay in touch with our local veterans and also gives
them a voice in state government.
On June 7th, I am hosting a special event for my Veterans' and Business
Advisory Committee members, as well as the general public. The joint meeting
will provide an opportunity for the veterans' community to hear from a national
expert and learn about some valuable resources that are available to aspiring
entrepreneurs.
The featured speaker for the meeting is Walter Blackwell, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the National Veterans Business Development Corporation,
often referred to as The Veterans Corp. This is a federally-chartered 501(c)(3)
organization that was established by the United States Congress in 1999 to
create and enhance business opportunities for veterans, including
service-disabled veterans. The Board of Directors for Veterans Corp is appointed
by the President of the United States.
The program will also include a panel discussion regarding access on capital
and surety bonding and the number of resources that are available to veterans
who are interested in starting or growing their own business. It is a unique
program that reinforces our country's gratitude to veterans for their service,
while at the same time, encourages entrepreneurship which is another pillar that
has made our nation so great.
This meeting promises to be informative to both my veterans' and business
groups and I encourage anyone who may be interested to attend. The joint meeting
will take place beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the National Civil War Museum located
at One Lincoln Circle in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg. Admission is free and open
to the public, but pre-registration is required by calling 787-6801.
Together, we all need to take a moment to reflect and thank those who serve
in our armed forces, both past and present. It's about their sacrifices,
heroism, and unselfish dedication to our country. It's about their willingness
to lay down their lives for the ideals on which this country was founded. That's
why I remain committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the
veterans who fought in years past.
In addition to the veterans and business groups, I maintain two other citizen
advisory committees for our sportsmen and the agricultural community. My
Sportsmen's Advisory Committee gathers two times per year, typically at the
headquarters of the Pennsylvania Game Commission or the Pennsylvania Fish and
Boat Commission, to discuss legislative initiatives that affect those who enjoy
the outdoors. The Agricultural Advisory Committee consists of area farmers,
vegetable growers, livestock producers, certain dealers, and others engaged in
agricultural activities such as horticulturists and operators of green houses
and meets annually to discuss issues affecting our industry. For more
information on these committees including the dates and details of future
meetings, visit my website at www.piccola.org.
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